China is now leading smartphone market

Mark Raby, 23rd November 2011

There are now more smartphones being shipped to China than any other country.
According to a report from Strategy Analytics, the number of smartphones shipped to China swelled by 58% in the most recent quarter, up to 24 million units.

Meanwhile, here in the US, our number actually dropped by 7%. Only 23 million smartphones were sent here in the third quarter.

The category of smartphones includes all phones powered by iOS, Android, Windows Mobile/Windows Phone, Symbian, WebOS, or Meego.

It is the former of those platforms that has helped to boost smartphones in China the most. The iPhone is now out in full force and continues to expand across the territory.

"If China Telecom launches a CDMA iPhone 4S early next year, then we expect Apple's share to spike further," Strategy Analytics opined in its report.

Android is also growing in China, with carriers increasing subsidies and making the platform more accessible. It is no doubt one of the most important markets for both Google and Apple right now.

However, Nokia remains the most popular smartphone manufacturer in the region, accounting for 29% of the market. That number has nowhere to go but down, so the only question is whether it will be the iPhone or Android that leapfrogs ahead.